Home

Research

Our research focuses on affective processes including emotion, attitudes, and subjective well-being.

Current directions

Interpretations of Neutral Facial Expressions
Ambivalence and Mixed Emotions
Affective Construals

Learn more

LAB MEMBERs

Jeff T. Larsen
Principal Investigator

Jeff’s primary research interest concern the structure of core affect. Whereas affective processes have traditionally been characterized as falling along a single bipolar dimension, his research has examined the separability of positive and negative affect. In addition, Jeff is interested in affective influences on motor behavior, context effects on affective reactions, the role of effortful and controlled processes in affect, and psychophysiological indices of affect (e.g., event-related potentials, facial electromyography).

Andrew T. Langbehn
Ph.D. Student

Andrew is a fifth year graduate student in the Affect and Emotion lab. He is broadly interested in how we experience and communicate emotions. His current research explores the true meaning of the "neutral" facial expression, the role of eye-contact in interpretations of neutral facial expressions, and exploring the affect heuristic and gut feeling as decision making strategies.

Emily Brayton
Ph.D. Student

Emily is currently a third year graduate student working in the Affect and Emotion Lab. Currently, Emily's research explores the emotional experiences of contestants who were voted off the island on the reality-competition show Survivor. Broadly, Emily is interested in understanding positive affective reactions to negative eliciting events. In addition, Emily is currently conducting research on the emotional experiences of college students on their move-in day as well as their graduate day. Finally, Emily is also studying the first-person and vicarious emotions of parents on their child's move-in day to college.

Current research assistants

Parker Duncan
Brice Anderson
Ellie Campbell
Elisabeth Bolton
Makena Steffens
Jamie Williams
Skylar Zug
Laina Wampler

Past graduate Students

James Cazares, Ph.D. - Senior Researcher at California Retina Consultants

Nicholas Coles, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor at the University of Florida

Dean Jordan, Ph.D. - Senior UX Researcher at Newell Brands

Ian Norris, Ph.D. - Professor at Berea College

Bradley Stastny, Ph.D. - Principle User Research Manager at Microsoft